Great strides have been made in the fight to end malaria. Campaigns to increase the availability and proper use of mosquito nets have been exceptionally successful in protecting entire families from this deadly disease.

A $10 mosquito net can make the difference between a life of chronic debilitating illness and even death or a healthy childhood of smiles and growth. That seems like a “no-brainer” to me.

Thousands are at risk of starvation in South Sudan because of war. The UN is demanding immediate access for humanitarian aid.

WFP/George Fominyen

The article reprinted below is by William Lambers for the Global Hunger Examiner. It is unedited.

Civilians face starvation in South Sudan, UN demands access

The United Nations warned today that 30,000 people are “facing starvation and death” in war-torn South Sudan. The UN World Food Programme, UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organization are demanding immediate access to these starving war victims, who are in Unity State.

The war in South Sudan, between the government and opposition groups, has caused extreme hunger. Farming in conflict areas cannot take place. What little food is available has become high-priced.

Nearly four million people are living with severe food shortages and on the brink of famine. Many displaced families report eating only one meal a day, consisting of fish and water lilies.

The violence has blocked humanitarian aid from reaching civilians, leaving children especially vulnerable to deadly malnutrition. UNICEF’s South Sudan representative, Jonathan Veitch, warns, “Since fighting broke out nearly two years ago, children have been plagued by conflict, disease, fear and hunger. Their families have been extraordinary in trying to sustain them, but have now exhausted all coping mechanisms. Agencies can support, but only if we have unrestricted access. If we do not, many children may die.”

As long as the violence persists, hunger will only continue to escalate. War means hunger. Oxfam’s Zlatko Gegic says, “civilians are fleeing their homes and making the treacherous journey to safer locations, only to be faced with starvation as aid organizations are blocked due to fighting. Many children have arrived alone, their mothers killed in the fighting or during the journey, with nothing but the clothes on their backs, surviving on plant roots and whatever else they can forage.”

Malnutrition causes lasting physical and mental damage in children, so it’s urgent the food reaches them quickly. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is the lead hunger relief organization in South Sudan. Along with UNICEF, Catholic Relief Services and others WFP conducts emergency missions to relieve the suffering, provided they have access.

WFP depends on voluntary donations and this must be kept up to provide the food aid. The United States Food for Peace program is the single largest donor to WFP, and Congress has to boost its funding.

But a lasting peace deal between the warring parties has to take place for the humanitarian crisis to ultimately end. The alternative is famine for South Sudan.

“If you can touch the world of beauty in the world of ugliness, then you can touch the world of suffering in the world of enlightenment. The world of enlightenment is within the world of suffering.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

The piece reprinted below was in my email hunger feed this morning. I reprint it here because I applaud any effort to help end the unnecessary evil of hunger in a world of plenty.

I also want to encourage all of us to work more collaboratively to change the world. Working together we can create a world without hunger. Here is one new company that is demonstrating that with a new business model.

This Groundbreaking Business Model & Global Movement Is Helping To End Hunger

Imprint Hat Company, a new “self-sustainable” not-for-profit company, is on a mission to eradicate world hunger using their powerful new business model.

You’ve heard the statistics, read the news, and watched the infomercials: children are starving all over the world. It’s become such a commonplace story that, sadly, many of us have stopped paying attention to it. But here’s the thing – we don’t have to accept this reality. In fact, if everyone banded together and worked collectively to find a solution, experts are now saying it would be possible to completely crush this epidemic within our lifetime.

That’s where imprint Hat Co. comes in. More of a movement than an apparel company, their aim is to tackle global hunger head on by using the power of collective action.

Their high-quality, durable snapback hats look amazing and hold up to the major brands you’re used to buying from, with the idea being that if you’re going to part with your hard-earned buck, you should get both a top-end product AND have the peace of mind that comes with knowing your money is being used to make drastic global change.

To accomplish this, imprint Hat Co. gives back 100% of the profits to this cause. That’s right, 100%! Here’s how it works:

50% of all profits go toward feeding a hungry child in the local community where each hat was sold, through their closest local partnered food bank

50% goes to their international partner, One Day’s Wages, to fight hunger in the developing world

Where Did This Idea Come From?

It began as a passion project between a couple of friends and has since turned into the collaborated effort of a large number of young entrepreneurs and activists from all corners of Canada and the United States.

The idea was to create a new, sustainable model that could inspire change and create real, lasting global impact. They believed the old ways just weren’t cutting it.

The Problem:

There are a lot of non-profit organizations around the globe doing a lot of good; however, most rely on external donations and funding/grants in order to remain sustainable.

There are also a lot of good for-profit companies that make quality products that people want. Some give back portions, but at the end of the day they are still driven to make profits for their shareholders.

Their Solution:

Combine the two models. Find individuals who 1) share the same passion, and 2) don’t need profit as incentive.

Thus, imprint Hat Co. was born.

Seeing as they are still a new start-up without the large marketing budget that some of their competitors are afforded, they have taken a real grassroots approach, relying heavily on word-of-mouth awareness through social media and other channels.

Luckily they have caught the attention of a few big names already, including their new Global Ambassador and online viral video celeb, Prince Ea, to help get the word out.

At the end of the day, they believe tying social and environmental causes to business will be essential to creating the paradigm shift needed to make real, lasting change in the world. The team at imprint Hat Co intends to be the catalyst for this change, but they can’t do it alone.

Tom Berlin is the senior pastor of Floris UMC in Herndon, Virginia. He is also a close friend who is one of the most mission-minded church leaders I know. This is a recent article on a new United Methodist Church iniative here in Virginia.

When life gives you lemons …

By the Rev. Tom Berlin

I never thought when I entered ministry that the Virginia Annual Conference would encourage us to start lemonade stands. Start new churches, yes. Start new ministries, okay. But lemonade stands?

But I think this plan from the folks who are leading the Imagine No Malaria initiative in Virginia is a great idea for many reasons. Let me share a few:

It involves kids and those who care for them. Kids like helping people, and they like the opportunity to run things that make a real difference in ways you can count. When their efforts give them an opportunity to be generous with the funds they have earned, they are truly empowered to bless others. At Floris UMC we have challenged the kids by telling them that the church will double every dollar that they raise. Their leadership will have twice the impact!

I like buying lemonade from kids. I think if you drive past a kid in at a lemonade stand and don’t stop, you are just a bad American. When you give a kid a dime or a quarter for a cup of lemonade, they get very excited and all official business on you. I just get a kick out of it.

It gives people who don’t go to our churches an opportunity to be generous, and generosity is good for the soul. Picture the smiling adult plunking down their quarter for the lemonade – the kid is smiling, the adult is smiling, the adult helping the kid is smiling. Now imagine that kid saying, thanks, all the proceeds from our lemonade stand go to fight malaria. You can read about it right here.The customer reads about Imagine No Malaria and realizes what a great thing this kid is doing selling lemonade for a good cause. That spurs generosity. It is not coerced or guilt-ridden. It is the kind of joyful generosity that helps people sleep better at night knowing they have been about good in the world. So often people want to do the right thing, and just need a good opportunity.

Kids at Floris are going to hand out invitations to attend our church along with information about malaria. I can’t think of a better advertisement for the UMC than children who know about the world beyond their community, serve those who suffer from a terrible disease and are a part of a church excited about their efforts. I hope we have kids in every neighborhood in our area offering lemonade and telling those who stop about what we are doing to relieve the suffering of malaria. Think of how that will change the way many people think about the church.

Finally, I am excited because I travel to Sierra Leone, Africa, on a fairly regular basis and know people who routinely suffer from malaria, which is debilitating and can lead to tragic deaths. The money raised in Virginia and shared with our church in Africa matters. These lemonade stands aren’t just some new gimmick. They are a means of grace to pay for bed nets, medications and training that will save lives. And that, friends, is one sweet deal.